Deceived
by LadyRen5
Summary: When Neji, prince of the Hyuga Clan, is targeted by an assassin, he tries to find out who is behind it. Unfortunately for him, he begins to have feelings for her.  Neji/Tenten
1. A Failed Attempt

**Deceived**

Chapter One: A Failed Attempt

It was a day of celebration. Today was the prince's birthday and a party was being held in his honor. Neji Hyuga wasn't into parties, but his cousins (mainly Hanabi) insisted that he have one. He hadn't celebrated one before, even though he was eighteen, and she wanted to put an end to that. He tried to talk her out of it, but she gave him 'the puppy face' and he couldn't refuse.

He tried not to look uncomfortable as he watched the performers in front of him. Several of them had come to the palace from distant lands, putting on a show for him. He wasn't into most of the flashy displays, but he had enjoyed the last swordsmen show and clapped when they were finished.

The guards that were stationed around the room seemed to relax as the swordsmen left. Then, their mood completely changed as a different gender entered the chamber; three to be exact. The females, dressed in scanty attire, made their way to the center of the room.

Neji's pale eyes suspiciously sought out his cousins who were seated to his left. Princess Hinata's eyes widened and she bit her lip in dismay. Clearly she was not involved. Princess Hanabi, however, waved and smiled at him. She had been hounding him about being single for quite some time now, even setting him up on a few dates with princesses. Of course, none of them worked out. Obviously, she was going to the extreme now.

Neji shook his head at her, causing Hanabi to lightly giggle.

Each girl (a redhead, blond, and brunette) wore outfits that showed off their slender figures. Their long hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, with curls cascading down their backs. They had too much make-up on for Neji's liking, but they were beautiful nonetheless.

The brunette in red seemed to be particularly interested in him and threw a sultry look his way. Though he didn't want to admit it, Neji felt uncomfortable again, for a completely different reason this time.

The music started and for some reason, he couldn't take his eyes off of the brown haired girl. She was moving her hips in a hypnotic way. Apparently the dance was designed to draw a person's attention. It was working a little too well on him, much to his dismay.

A little further into the dance, the brunette reached up into her hair in a sexual manner, arching her back as she did so. The guards seemed to enjoy this and whooped a little in response.

They weren't the only ones affected. The prince's mouth suddenly went dry. Neji tried to control the physical reaction this woman was causing him. No way was he going to let someone have that kind of power over him. At least, that's what he tried to convince himself. But he found that his eyes were glued to her and nothing else.

He would find out later that that's what saved his life. For as she reached up into her ponytail, she extracted something.

In an instant, the dancer threw that 'something' directly at the prince. He jerked his head to the side, barely able to avoid the objects.

The music halted and the room grew ominously silent. Neji turned his head to see what it was. Two senbon needles were deeply embedded in his chair. If he hadn't moved out of the way in time, they would have pierced his throat.

The princesses gasped in shock.

The guards looked just as surprised as the other dancers that were there. Then, the men finally came to their senses and charged at the girls.

The blond and redhead swore they didn't have anything to do with it. They were taken into custody quite easily and led out of the room. The brunette, however, wasn't going down without a fight. She took the first two guards down that tried to apprehend her, round housing one and leg sweeping the other. Despite her efforts, she was soon surrounded by big burly men in armor with weapons.

Talk about overkill. She looked like a small piece of meat about to be devoured by a bunch of ravenous dogs.

Before they attacked, the prince's voice rang out. "Wait!"

The guards turned their attention to their leader.

To the girl's shock, the prince didn't look angry at all. If anything, he looked bemused, which greatly surprised her.

Neji stood up from his throne and walked down the steps to the main floor.

"What are you doing, cousin?" Hanabi stood from her chair, visibly angry. "The girl is an assassin. She should be executed on the spot." She looked at Hinata for assistance. "Don't you agree, sister?"

Hinata hesitated. "Well.."

Neji looked at his cousins for a moment. "I will decide her fate. It _was me_ she was trying to kill, after all."

The girl let off a crazed laugh and stared boldly at the prince. "Actually, when I was through with you, I was going to take them out too." She nodded toward the two princesses, who flinched in response.

Neji began walking toward her, undeterred. The guards parted for him as he approached. "You seem undoubtedly sure of yourself, even though you've clearly failed at taking just me out."

The girl scowled at him, causing him to smirk slightly. Then, it vanished, making her wonder if it was truly there to begin with.

"Tell me, who sent you?" he questioned, standing right in front of her, his pale eyes piercing into her brown ones.

Her bold stare began to falter and she looked down at the floor. "Like I would tell you," she mumbled.

"If that's how you want to play it…" the prince trailed off, backing away a bit. "Guards!"

The men prepared themselves, weapons ready. The assassin, knowing she had failed her mission, closed her eyes and hoped for a quick death.

"Stand down!"

The girl's eyes shot open and she stared at the prince like he had just grown two heads. The guards moved away from her and lined up against the wall. The Hyuga's smirk returned and she wondered if he enjoyed playing mind games with her.

"Neji." Hanabi looked worried. "Don't tell me you're actually going to.."

Before Hanabi could finish, the prince peeked over at her, his smile widening a bit. She let out an exasperated sigh and sat down in her seat again.

Neji turned his attention back to his attacker. "Care to take me on again, in a fair fight this time?"

Confusion was written all over her face. "You're giving me a second chance?"

"On one condition," the prince added. "You must tell me your name first."

The kunoichi hesitated, but it was the least she could do since he called off the hounds. "Tenten."

"Tenten," he repeated. "No last name?"

She tilted her head down. "I don't have one," she replied, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "At least not anymore."

"I see." Neji was curious, but was more concerned about the task at hand. "Well, Tenten, you must still have something up your sleeve, if you were going to take my cousins out as well."

Her anger seemed to melt away. Tenten raised her head up to give him a sly smile. "You must have a death wish or something," she stated, reaching down into her top to retrieve a small scroll.

The prince arched an eyebrow. Well, that was certainly another place to hide something. He wondered what else she could have hidden in her meager attire. As soon as the thought came to him, Neji mentally berated himself. Never had he been so distracted by someone in his whole life.

Her expression deadly serious now, Tenten prepared herself for attack. Neji did the same, extending his left foot and palm forward, positioning himself into the Hyuga stance. Both fighters stared at each other for a few more seconds before the duel began.

Tenten leapt into the air, her scroll unfolding around her in grand splendor. She twirled her body into a fast spin, touching each seal on the paper. Weapons appeared and soon a myriad of kunai, needles, and shuriken came raining down on her opponent.

Neji stood his ground, a layer of blue chakra swirling around him. Waiting until the last second, he did a spin of his own. The chakra expanded into a protective dome, deflecting all the weapons and making them fall uselessly to the floor.

After her assault was over, Tenten landed with one knee on the ground. Breathing heavily, she stared in disbelief at her weapons that littered the room. Not one of them had hit their mark. "How did you.."

"Surely, that's not all you've got?" Neji questioned, a hint of smugness in his voice.

This angered Tenten and she stood up the rest of the way. She managed to control her breathing and gave him a determined look. "You wish."

Tenten touched the last seal on her scroll and a large spiked ball appeared. A chain was attached and she swung it around, launching the weapon with great force at Neji.

As the ball hurled toward him, Neji drew his arms into his side. Bending his fingers, he built up chakra and thrust his left palm forward. "8 Trigrams: Air Palm!"

A strong blast of wind blew the weapon back. The spiked ball slammed into the wall behind Tenten, barely missing one of the guard's head. The man's eyes grew wide when he saw how close to death he'd come.

The kunoichi was also knocked off her feet, landing painfully on her rear. As she rubbed the aching body part, the prince walked over to her. She looked up at him in anger and embarrassment.

"I think that is enough for today," Neji said, staring down at her with a blank expression.

_For today_, Tenten thought. Surely he didn't mean to keep her alive any longer. The thought was so preposterous, she wiped it from her mind.

"Guards!" he ordered yet again and the men stood to alert.

Tenten hung her head. She had failed to dispose of the Hyuga once again. Feeling humiliated, she almost welcomed death this time.

"Throw her in the dungeon with her companions."

"What?" Tenten's head snapped up. She stared wide eyed at him as a few guards helped her to her feet.

The prince turned his back on her. "And maybe get her some ice. She obviously needs it."

"Why you.." was all Tenten managed to get out before the guards started hauling her away.

As she was led out of the room, Tenten didn't know if she was suppose to feel grateful. The thought of ringing her savior's neck seemed to override anything else.

* * *

><p>AN: I'm taking a time out from my other story, because this plot came to me and It Won't Leave Me Alone. By the way, this is my first Neji/Ten story where they are the main couple, so please let me know if you like it so far.


	2. An Agreement

**Deceived**

Chapter Two: An Agreement

Tenten sat in her prison cell for the rest of the day. She knew it was nighttime because a slight darkness could be seen from the single barred window at the top of her room. Torches that lined the outer hall were her only source of light.

The other dancers that were with her must've been put into a different cell for she was completely alone. Well, that was fine with her. Her friendship with them had been a sham so she could get closer to the Hyugas.

When she became restless, Tenten paced the room, which was hard to do in such tight quarters. There was a small bed against the wall and a place to use the bathroom. She stayed away from that particular area because of the smell. It was so bad, it could knock someone off their feet. She already had that happen once today. She didn't want it to happen again.

Just thinking about it made her blood boil. The prince seemed to be foremost on her mind. As she was pacing, several questions plagued her.

How did she miss him the first time? She never missed. Not ever. She was too fast and accurate for someone to dodge her needles. But he had managed to move out of the way in time.

Then, when she used her scroll, how did he avoid her barrage of weapons? He must've deflected them somehow, but it was too hard to see when she was spinning so high and fast in the air.

And the question that bothered her the most. After her defeat, why did he let her live? Not that she didn't mind still being alive, mind you. It was just that, after all that had happened, she thought he'd want her dead. You know, her head mounted on a stick and all that good stuff.

Different answers came to mind.

Maybe he was going to try to extract information from her. He'd already tried once and failed. He didn't seem like the type to give up so easily.

Or maybe death was too good for her and he was going to torture her first. She wouldn't put it past him. The Hyuga Clan was known for its coldness.

Then again, maybe he just liked toying with her. He seemed to enjoy getting a rise out of her.

Tenten's thoughts were soon interrupted when she heard the loud squeaking sound of a door opening. It was the one at the end of the hall that she had been dragged through earlier. Not wanting someone to know how anxious she was becoming, Tenten sat down on the bed.

Footsteps echoed off the concrete floor. They got closer and closer until a figure appeared in front of the cell. The person was wearing a dark cloak and was short in stature. Tenten guessed who it was before she even removed her hood.

The youngest of the Hyuga royalty stood before her, a small tray in one hand. Tenten wondered why the twelve year old decided to grace her with her presence.

Princess Hanabi stared coldly at the prisoner. "Enjoying your stay so far?" she asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"Why yes," Tenten had to reply, then she nodded toward the bathroom. "But the accommodations here are lacking."

The firelight danced along Hanabi's features. "Well, you won't have to endure them for much longer, this being your last night and all. You should be dead by morning. Of course, if it was up to me, you'd be dead already."

Tenten fixed her with a cold stare of her own.

Hanabi set the tray down on the floor and kicked it under the bars. "Enjoy your last meal."

The princess turned around and started to walk away. Then, she stopped. Tenten could barely see her shoulders tense in the dim light.

"I don't know how you got around our background check," Hanabi tried to keep her voice steady. "but you can be sure I'll look into it _personally_. And I'll find out who you really are and who sent you."

"Good luck," said Tenten, not meaning it.

Hanabi put her hood back on, straightened her shoulders, and resumed her departure.

Tenten heard her footsteps echo down the hall, then the sound of a door slamming shut.

Alone now, Tenten looked down at the tray. All that was on it was a piece of bread and a cup of water, which had tipped over. It didn't look appealing at all, but her stomach growling made her think otherwise.

With a heavy sigh, she got down on the floor and picked up the soggy piece of bread. _That little runt could have poisoned it, _she thought. Her stomach growled again. She hadn't eaten since that morning.

"Oh well," Tenten said out loud. "According to her, I'm going to die anyway."

She swallowed once before downing the food. It didn't suppress her hunger at all, but it was better than nothing.

Tenten went back to the hard bed and laid down. Having trouble sleeping, her thoughts drifted back to the prince. By now, he was probably sleeping in a large comfortable bed with a full belly; the complete opposite of her. He shouldn't have it so easy. She was going to make him regret keeping her alive.. somehow.

* * *

><p><em>The little girl's wrist was aching painfully as a dark haired woman dragged her down a long hallway that never seemed to end. "Mother, you're hurting me," she whimpered.<em>

_Knowing what was best, the woman ignored the complaint, running until at last, she opened a door and pulled her daughter inside with her. She shut the door behind them and leaned against it for a moment to catch her breath._

_Not understanding what was going on, the child looked up at her, frightened. "What is it mommy? What are we running from?"_

_"Not now, little one. We must find a place to hide you." She desperately searched the room until her eyes settled on something. "The fireplace. You must get inside the fireplace."_

_The girl shook her head. "But it's dark in there, mommy. I don't want to."_

_The woman knelt down and looked into brown eyes that looked so much like her own. Her expression turned serious. "This is important. The fate of our clan depends on you. Will you listen to mommy?"_

_Tears began to fall down the girl's face, but she nodded._

"_That's my strong girl," she said, giving her a sad smile. The woman stood up and led her daughter across the room. "Now hurry. We don't have much time."_

_The child suppressed her fear and crawled into the small fireplace. Black soot stained her hands, face, and kimono._

"_All the way in the back," her mother ordered. "And you must be quiet. No matter what you see or hear, don't make a sound. Do you understand?"_

_Before the girl could answer, someone burst into the room. From her knelt position, she could see a person's feet moving closer. The next thing she heard was her mother screaming. She covered her ears and squeezed her eyes shut._

Tenten woke up with a start, her breathing erratic. Sunlight was streaming through the window now. Sitting up in the bed, she was welcomed with a stiff.. well everything. She swung her legs over the side and tried to control her breathing. It was the same dream she always had, never moving forward or back in time.

Hanging her head, Tenten's long hair that had come loose from her ponytail fell around her. The curls had long sense flattened and she had a feeling the heavy make-up she'd had on was smeared all over her face. She probably looked like crap, but that was the least of her worries. Her stiff body took precedent over anything else. Stretching, she cracked several body parts in the process.

"Finally awake?" came a familiar voice.

Tenten jumped about a half mile. She whipped her head around to see who it was, but was rewarded with a sharp pain in her neck. "Ow," she groaned, rubbing it.

"Those beds weren't designed for comfort."

"I can tell," said Tenten, dropping her hand. Managing to turn her head a little, she saw the prince leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. She wondered how long he had been standing there.

"There are worse rooms, you know. Ones without beds where you're forced to sleep on the floor."

Tenten stiffly rose to her feet. "Am I suppose to be thankful?" His smirk caused her to cringe. "Look, if you came here to get answers, you'll be sadly disappointed."

The prince was quiet for a few seconds. "Did you know that you talk in your sleep?"

Tenten's eyes grew wide. Forgetting her pain, she rushed over to the bars and grasped them. "You're lying," she protested.

"Am I?" he questioned, his posture never changing.

Tenten couldn't tell if he was telling the truth or not. His Hyuga mask made it impossible.

"Do you always have dreams like that?" he asked.

"That's none of your business!" she practically spat out. "Now let me out of here!"

Neji pushed off the wall and walked over to her. Tenten backed away a bit.

"Tell you what," he began. "I'll let you out of this cell on one condition."

This conversation sounded familiar to Tenten. It was how the prince got her to tell him her name. Well, he wasn't going to get anything out of her this time. She pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes.

Neji ignored her reaction. "You must become my sparring partner."

His words threw her off guard. Tenten looked incredulously at him. "Why would I do that?" she had to ask.

A smile played across his lips. "I think it would benefit the both of us."

Tenten was confused, but curious nonetheless. "How so?"

Neji closed his eyes. "You see, I've never come so close to death before. The little stunt you pulled yesterday proves that you're worth my time."

The kunoichi didn't want to feel flattered, yet a secret part of her did.

He opened his eyes. "I will have a worthy opponent and you will get the chance to try to kill me over and over again. It can't get much better than that. Don't you agree?"

Tenten thought this guy was officially off his rocker. Still not trusting him, she asked, "What's the catch?"

It was the prince's turn to look confused. "The catch?"

"There's got to be more to it than that."

Neji thought it over. "You will not be allowed to leave this castle. You will be confined here until you tell me what I need to know."

Tenten raised her chin defiantly. "And if I don't agree to your terms?"

The prince seemed unaffected. "It would be no skin off my back. You can rot down here for the rest of your life, if you so desire."

Tenten swallowed hard, digesting his words. He had nothing to lose. She, however, would have to endure night after night in this prison cell. Looking around the room made his offer look better and better. She hesitated once before asking, "Will I get my own room?"

"Right across the hall from mine. Of course, there will be a guard posted outside your door at all times. I'm sure you understand why."

"With a comfortable bed and a clean bathroom?" Tenten scowled at the ones in her room.

The prince nodded. "Do we have an agreement then?"

Tenten had a strange feeling she was making a deal with the devil, but it was better than the alternative. She stared into his pale eyes. "Agreed."


	3. Blurred Perception

**Deceived**

Chapter Three: Blurred Perception

Tenten silently followed the prince up the winding tower stairs. She noticed he had no problem keeping his back to her, which secretly irked her. Either he was very trusting or he didn't see her as a threat. She had a feeling it was the latter. It was a good thing the guards had frisked her before putting her into the cell. They had removed all the hidden weapons she still had on her. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so lucky right now.

When they reached the top, Neji led her down a long hallway that had guards posted on both ends. A door opened to their right, and the person Tenten didn't care to ever see again emerged.

When Hanabi saw who was before her, her mouth fell open. "Neji, what are you doing with _her_?" She pointed an accusing finger at Tenten.

The prince stopped to respond. "Tenten will be staying with us from now on, Hanabi. At least until she informs me who she's working for."

Hanabi closed her mouth and dropped her hand. "Why don't you just torture it out of her?"

Neji grinned at her. "Why would I do that to my new sparring partner?"

Tenten didn't think the little girl's eyes could get any wider and a satisfied smile crept into her own lips.

Just then, the door beside Hanabi's opened and a timid girl appeared. "W-What's going on?"

"Ah, Hinata." Neji immediately turned his attention to her. "Just the person I wanted to see." He grabbed Tenten's arm.

Tenten tried to jerk away, but he had an iron grip. "Hey!" she protested. "Let go of me!"

Neji dragged her toward Hinata, then let go. "Please give her something more appropriate to wear. You're about the same build. One of your kimonos should do."

"Y-yes, Neji," Hinata replied.

"I will be back for her in a little while. See to it that she is ready by then."

Hinata nodded and the prince walked away.

Hanabi stared at her sibling. "You're not actually going along with this, Hinata?" It was more of a question than a demand. When her sister didn't answer, Hanabi went back into her room and slammed the door shut.

Tenten rubbed her forehead. "She sure likes to slam doors a lot, doesn't she?"

Hinata smiled and motioned for Tenten to enter. "Please, come in."

Tenten walked into the princess's room. Just as expected, it was grand and elegant. Large windows lined the back wall letting light spill in through sheer drapes. A generous size bed took up the middle with white and lavender blankets and pillows. The closet to her left was filled to the brim with silk kimonos. To her right, a vanity displayed expensive looking jewelry and cosmetics. Other furniture filled the room as well. She knew the Hyugas were well off, but she had no idea.

"Please have a seat," Hinata said, patting a bulky looking chair.

Tenten stiffly sat down. She was completely out of her comfort zone, but tried her best to hide it.

Hinata examined her for a moment. "Red seems to be your color." She turned around and walked over to her wardrobe. After searching for a little while, she pulled something out. "This would be perfect on you."

When the princess turned around, Tenten let out a small gasp. The kimono in her arms was a deep red color with a purple flowered pattern throughout. There was a matching purple obi as well. The kunoichi quickly shook her head. "I couldn't possibly.."

Before she could finish, the normally shy girl spoke up. "Nonsense. It would be my honor if you'd wear it." When Tenten still looked indecisive, Hinata added, "Please."

The brunette sighed. Obviously she wasn't going to take no for an answer. Tenten closed her eyes for a second. "Okay," she gave in.

Hinata gladly handed over the kimono.

Tenten accepted it. There was silence for a moment, until she spoke up. "Can I ask you a question?"

Hinata nodded.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" When the princess remained silent, Tenten continued. "I mean, I thought all the Hyugas were cold and heartless. Your sister seems to fit the bill, but you're.. different."

Hinata looked down. "Hanabi is only acting out because of what happened yesterday. You see, she is very protective of her cousin. She feels responsible for hiring you and can't seem to forgive herself." She looked back up with hope in her eyes. "But she'll come around.. eventually."

"I'll understand if she doesn't."

A knock on the door indicated the prince had returned. Hinata quickly answered the door.

"Is she ready?" a male voice asked.

"Y-yes, Neji," the soft spoken girl replied.

Tenten stood and walked over to them, holding the garment close to her chest.

Neji's pale eyes met hers. "Come with me." He began walking down the hall, expecting her to follow.

When he was out of earshot, Tenten quietly thanked the princess. Hinata smiled in return.

Tenten quickened her pace to catch up to Neji, who acknowledged her presence by peeking over his shoulder at her.

Further down, he opened a door on his left. "This will be your room."

Tenten brushed past him to enter the room. It was nothing like the princess's extravagant room, which was fine with her. A modest looking bed and furniture filled the room. Off to her right was what she cherished most; a bathroom. She rushed over to it. It was clean and spotless, just like she hoped. A large tub sat against the wall and she suddenly couldn't wait to take a bath.

"I take it that everything is to your liking?" the prince asked from the doorway.

Tenten wondered why he didn't just come in. It was his family's castle after all, meaning this room and everything in it was his. "It's fine," she said.

"Good. Then, I'll leave you alone so you can clean up. Breakfast will be ready in fifteen minutes."

_That doesn't give me much time to bathe_, Tenten thought bitterly. She was quickly finding out that time was something the prince had little patience for.

Before leaving, Neji added. "Enjoy yourself today. Tomorrow and from now on, we will be training on a daily basis."

"A daily basis?" Tenten repeated, thinking she didn't hear him right.

"You did agree to be my sparring partner. I plan on taking full advantage of that. If you can't handle it, there's always.."

"You think I can't handle it?" she interrupted, her brown eyes blazing. "I can handle anything you throw my way."

"Is that right?" A smile formed on the prince's lips.

Tenten suddenly felt nervous. Why was he staring at her like that? She could only imagine what he was thinking.

"You only have thirteen minutes now," Neji said, before closing the door.

Tenten wished she had something to throw at it, but all she had was the kimono. Not sparing another second, she quickly rushed into the bathroom. Obviously he didn't think she could get ready in time. Well, she'd show him.

* * *

><p>Exactly thirteen minutes later, Neji knocked on the kunoichi's door. Immediately following, he heard a loud crash. He didn't know if it was her or something else. As he moved closer to listen, the door flew open.<p>

Tenten stood before him, washed up, dressed, and ready to go. Gone was her skimpy attire, replaced with a form fitting kimono. Her heavy make-up was also removed, revealing her natural beauty. She'd even found time to do her hair, rolling it up into two perfect buns on the top of her head.

Neji didn't get impressed easily, but this was certainly a feat on its own. His cousins wouldn't be ready in twice the amount of time, even with help. And he couldn't get over how different she looked.

"Well," she said, trying to keep a look of satisfaction off her face. "Are you just going to stand there?"

Neji didn't realize he was staring until she said something. He cleared his throat. "If you would accompany me," he said politely, gesturing with an open hand.

There was that Hyuga politeness again that she thought didn't exist. Her perception of the clan was becoming blurred. It was as if everything she knew about them was a lie.

Tenten shook her head, trying to clear her mind of such thoughts. How could she trust them after what they'd done to her clan? They were monsters with deceptive masks who would turn on you when you least expected it. At least, that's what she tried to convince herself.

While Tenten stood there warring within herself, the prince dropped his hand. "Are you just going to stand there?" he repeated her question.

Tenten broke out of her trance. "Uh.. yeah. I mean, no." She secretly winced at her awkwardness as she turned around and closed the door.

When she turned back around, she expected him to be smirking, but his face remained impassive. Tenten was grateful for that and relaxed a little as she followed beside him down the hall.

The prince walked her down a different set of stairs and to the dining area. Servants pulled out chairs for them as soon as they entered. The pair walked over to the long rectangular table and sat down.

As the servants left, Tenten looked around the empty room. "Will we be the only ones eating?"

Neji looked at her. "If you are referring to my cousins, they ate hours ago."

Tenten shifted uncomfortably. "And you? Have you eaten already?"

Neji shook his head. "I spent the morning training before you even woke up."

"Oh." Tenten looked down. She never was a morning person, but she blamed that on her constant nightmares.

Suddenly, a loud sound echoed through the room.

Neji looked over at the kunoichi's red face. "Hungry?" he inquired.

Tenten felt her cheeks burning and she covered her stomach with both hands as if she could silence it somehow. Unfortunately, it growled again, even louder this time.

The prince let out a soft chuckle.

Tenten glared at him. "Well, what do you expect? I barely got anything to eat last night. What were you trying to do? Starve me to death?"

Neji looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"

Tenten tried to control her anger. "Tell me, how is a person suppose to survive on bread and water alone?"

"That's funny. I ordered a servant to bring you a whole plate of food."

Tenten gave him a questioning look. "But it was your cousin, Hanabi, who brought it to me."

Neji figured it out, but it took a second for Tenten.

Her eyes grew wide as she finally pieced it together. She could just picture the little girl taking the plate from the servant and scraping most of the food into the trash before visiting her. Tenten stood up from her chair. "Why that little.."

Just then, the servants returned with plates in their hands.

The kunoichi's hunger abated her anger and she sat back down again.

When the plate was set before her, Tenten skipped the thanks and dug right in. The prince tried not to laugh again as she stuffed her face, but she didn't care. There was only one thing on her mind as she piled the food into her mouth. Revenge.


	4. One Conclusion

**Deceived**

Chapter Four: One Conclusion

After their late breakfast, Neji decided to give Tenten a tour of the castle grounds. She might as well know her way around the place since she would be staying indefinitely. Not that she'd have free reign or anything. He would make sure most of her time was spent training with him. He'd wear her down so much, she'd tell him anything he wanted to know.

Not to mention, his youngest cousin might stay alive a little longer. This would be a way of distracting the kunoichi for a bit. And it seemed to work as they walked into the Hyuga gardens.

Tenten's anger melted and her mouth dropped open in awe as she gazed at the scene before her. Cherry blossom trees, fruit trees, and an assortment of flowery shrubs were planted all around. Right in front, a small bridge overlapped a pond full of koi fish. Tenten ran over to it and peered over the edge. She couldn't help but giggle as the fish's little mouths popped up above the water as if they were waiting for her to feed them.

After inspecting almost every inch of the grounds, they came upon an enclosed area.

"What's in there?" Tenten asked curiously, trying to guess what was on the other side.

Neji tried to act nonchalant. "Oh, it's nothing. Shall we go back inside now?"

Tenten narrowed her eyes. She had a feeling he was trying to hide something from her. She quickly ran around the wall before he could protest. Before she knew it, Tenten was face to face with a man. She gasped out of shock, but quickly recovered once she realized what it was.

Neji exhaled an air of agitation before following after her.

A look of disappointment was on the brunette's face. "It's only a statue."

"I told you it was nothing," said Neji. "but you wouldn't listen."

Tenten inspected the statue further. It resembled the king. There had to be a reason why he didn't want her to see this. White lilies were placed at its feet. Was she missing something? "This is the king, correct?"

Neji crossed his arms and remained silent.

Tenten put a finger to her chin. "He's not dead yet, right?"

"My uncle is away on a diplomatic mission right now," Neji finally spoke.

"Your people must really miss him or something. Is he really loved that much?"

Neji was losing his patience. "Are you ready to go back now?"

Tenten noticed the prince's irritability and dropped her hand. "Fine."

The kunoichi began to walk away. When the prince didn't immediately follow, Tenten stopped to look back at him. Was it her imagination or did he have a look of sadness on his face as he gazed at the stone figure? She jumped a little when he caught her staring, his face solemn now.

Suddenly, the prince couldn't wait to leave and brushed past her, exiting before her. Tenten sighed. Would ever figure this guy out? She seriously doubted it.

As they were walking toward the castle, Princess Hinata came out to meet them. "N-Neji, someone is w-waiting for you in the courtyard," she stuttered out.

Tenten swallowed hard. Had King Hiashi returned? From what she heard about the man, he was a cold authoritarian. Neji might have been lenient with his disciplinary action, but she seriously doubted the older Hyuga would be.

"Follow me," he calmly instructed his cousin. "And bring Tenten with you."

Hinata nodded.

The prince briskly walked away, the sleeves of his robes and his long, dark hair swaying in the breeze.

Tenten put a hand on her hip. "Does he expect everyone to just listen to him?" she asked in a low tone.

Hinata bit her lip. "I'm afraid so."

Tenten sighed again and walked beside Hinata. Neji was a good distance away from them. She used the opportunity to get information out of the princess.

"I came upon a statue earlier," she said coolly.

Hinata tensed a little. "You did?"

"Yes, but I don't understand. Why were flowers placed at King Hiashi's feet?"

Hinata hesitated. "That man wasn't my father."

Tenten looked confused. "But it looked just like him."

"That was Lord Hizashi," Hinata corrected. "My father's twin brother."

Tenten shook her head. "Wait a minute. He had a twin?"

"Yes. He was Neji's father."

Tenten's eyes grew wide. "Why did you say _was _Neji's father?"

Hinata took a deep breath. "Years ago, Lord Hizashi and a group of men were sent on a mission. Being my father's decoy, he was to meet with another clan to form an alliance. But something terrible happened when he got there. The people had secretly turned against the Hyuga Clan. There was a great battle. Lord Hizashi fought valiantly, but his wounds were too severe." Hinata's voice dropped. "Neji has never been the same since. We were both kids when it happened."

For some reason, the sound of her mother screaming echoed in Tenten's mind and she froze into place.

"Is something wrong?"

Tenten snapped out of it. Noticing the concern on Hinata's face, she replied, "No. Everything is fine."

When they reached the courtyard, Tenten spotted a rather strange looking guy standing in the center. He had a bowl haircut, big bushy eyebrows, and was clad in bright green spandex. It took everything she had not to laugh her head off right there on the spot.

She managed to control herself enough to ask Hinata, "Who's that guy?"

"That's Rock Lee," the princess answered. "He's been coming here for years trying to defeat Neji in a battle of taijutsu."

"Has he succeeded yet?" asked Tenten.

"We will soon find out." Hinata had a small smile on her face.

From the sideline, Tenten took a closer look at the new arrival. Lee was around her age and had a look of pure determination on his face. Were his looks deceiving? Could this guy possibly defeat the prince?

Lee pointed a finger at Neji, who was a short distance away from him. "I've come back to challenge you to a duel. I have undergone intense training with my sensei for the past three months. Today I will prove it was not in vain. I will defeat you Neji Hyuga."

Neji crossed his arms, looking rather bored. "I think I've heard this before."

This only angered the teenage boy and he hunched over a little, clinching his fists in front of him. "I mean it this time! I will definitely defeat you!"

Neji closed his eyes and frowned. "Yes, definitely heard this before."

Lee let go of his anger and straightened his spine. "Do you accept the challenge or not?"

Neji opened his eyes and a hint of a smile formed on his lips. "Sure. Why not?"

Lee looked relieved. "Oh, good. I thought you were…" Before he could finish his sentence, the prince charged at him. Lee quickly blocked the Hyuga's first attack, which was aimed directly at his head.

Neji smiled, seeming a bit pleased. "So, you have improved. Maybe this won't be a complete waste of my time."

"Of course it will not." Lee sounded offended. "I have trained…."

"Yeah, yeah." Neji leaped back. "I heard you the first time."

With resolute faces, both fighters went into a stance; Neji with his left palm and foot forward, and Lee standing to the side with his hand outstretched in front of him.

Neji, being the patient one, waited for Lee to attack, which took no time at all. A flash of green dashed across the courtyard followed by a collection of punches and kicks.

Tenten watched as the prince blocked each one. She couldn't help but notice how calm and peaceful he looked. It was like he knew what was coming before it happened. How was that even possible?

Lee didn't let up. He twisted his body around into a leg sweep, but the prince avoided it. When Lee raised back up, Neji went on the offensive. The challenger tried his best to avoid the countless attacks, but was eventually overwhelmed. Neji, finding an opening, took full advantage of it, and took the boy down mercilessly.

Tenten winced as Lee hit the ground with a thud. Staring at the boy's motionless form, realization donned on her. She had agreed to be Neji's sparring partner. He wanted to train every day, and that could be her on the ground from this moment on.

Neji began to walk away, then stopped. "Come back when you have improved."

Lee managed to raise his head up a little. "I w-will," he promised.

Neji continued his departure, walking across the courtyard until he was standing in front of the two girls. "Hinata, maybe you can stay with Tenten while I take care of a few things."

Tenten thought it odd that he was talking so casually after just battling someone. He didn't look winded; not even one hair out of place. Was this guy really human?

As if sensing her thoughts, Neji's pale eyes fell on her. "If that's okay with you."

Tenten could see in the background, the green spandex teenager struggling to get to his feet and swallowed nervously. "Um.. I guess..."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the prince turned and walked away.

"..that's fine," Tenten finished, watching the prince disappear through the entrance.

Lee slowly walked over to them, holding his sore ribs.

"Do you need help leaving this time, Lee?" Hinata asked, worry on her face.

Lee shook his head. Now that he was closer, Tenten could see blood dripping from the corner of his mouth and several dark bruises on his pale skin.

The boy turned his attention to her. "Is it true that you're going to be the prince's new sparring partner?"

Tenten nodded her head.

"Can I ask you a question?" Lee weased.

Tenten hesitated. "Y-yes?"

"Are you crazy?"

Tenten's eyes went from side to side. Did she hear him right? "Eh?"

And this is where Lee began his rant. "Did you see what he just did to me? Just because you're a girl, don't think he'll go easy on you. I've been trying to beat him for years." His head sagged a little. "I'm beginning to think it isn't possible."

Tenten felt what little confidence she had dwindle away.

"If I were you, I would find of a way out of it. I'd hate to see such a delicate flower end up like this." Lee pointed at his own face. Then, he bowed to them. "I will be leaving now."

Tenten watched the boy hobble off and suddenly felt ill.

"Are you okay?" asked Hinata, noticing the color had drained from the brunette's face.

"I'm fine," said Tenten.

The kunoichi began to walk toward the castle, but her knees buckled under her. She would have fallen if Hinata hadn't caught her in time.

Tenten reassessed the situation. "Actually, I think I need to lie down for a bit."

Hinata helped her all the way to the bedroom. Inside, Tenten collapsed on her bed.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Hinata asked.

"I just need a small nap. You can go."

"Are you sure?" Hinata needed reassurance before she left.

Tenten smiled and nodded her head. Hinata looked reluctant to leave, but did as she was told.

As soon as the princess closed the door, Tenten sat straight up in her bed. She had to think of a way to get out of her agreement. She didn't want to look like that poor boy did earlier. The longer she thought about it, the more she came to one conclusion.

The only way out of it, was to take out the prince.


	5. Her Goal

**Deceived**

Chapter Five: Her Goal

Tenten paced the room, trying to think of a way to get rid of the prince. Suddenly, there was a knock on her door and she froze into place. Thankfully, she was close to her bed and leapt into it. Thinking it was Hinata come to check on her, Tenten told the person to enter.

She was surprised when the door opened and it wasn't Hinata standing there, but the prince himself. Tenten bit her bottom lip. He always seemed to appear when she was thinking about him. It was just a good thing he didn't know what she was thinking about.

Neji took a few steps into the room. "Hinata informed me that you weren't feeling good."

Tenten sat up in her bed. "I just got a little hot. I told her not to worry about me. You didn't have to check on me."

"I'm not checking on you. I came to inform you that it is time for dinner. I know how you don't like to skip meals."

The prince turned around, but not before Tenten saw the smirk on his face. Remembering the incident with Hanabi, she glowered.

Reluctantly, Tenten got up from her bed and followed the prince out of the room.

Again they went down the same set of stairs that led to the dining area, but the room wasn't empty like it was before. Sitting at the table were Princess Hinata and the person Tenten currently despised at the moment.

"Don't tell me she's having dinner with us." Hanabi glared at the new arrival. She stood from her chair. "I'll be taking my leave now. I've suddenly lost my appetite."

"Hanabi!" Hinata reprimanded her sister's rudeness.

"You know, you're not a bowl full of sunshine yourself." Tenten glared back at the youngest member, about to leave herself.

"That's enough!" The prince's raised voice shocked everyone in the room and they stopped what they were doing to stare at him. Neji cleared his throat. "Now, we are going to put childish behavior aside and sit down and have a nice meal."

His words had an edge to them and the two quarrelers shut their mouths and sat down at the table, neither one looked happy about it though.

Dinner was silent for the most part. Tenten and Hanabi ate with their heads down. Hinata occasionally looked nervously from her sister to Tenten. Neji, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the awkwardness of it all. When he finished, he stood up and told them he was retiring to bed.

"So early?" Tenten looked confused. It was about eight o'clock. Surely he was going to read or something before bed.

Neji focused in on her. "You should be going to bed too. I'll be waking you up at five a.m. sharp."

"Five a.m.!" Tenten shrieked, rising from her chair. "Is anything awake at that hour? You must be crazy."

Neji smirked at the comment. "I've been accused of that once or twice. But remember, you agreed to train with me."

"But that was before I knew you would wake me up at such hours," Tenten fought back.

"Guess you just have bad luck." Hanabi seemed amused at the current turn of events.

Tenten gave the younger princess a piercing stare. "Shut it, shorty."

Hanabi's mouth dropped open, but nothing came out. Achieving her goal, Tenten smiled satisfactory.

Neji motioned with his hand. "I'll walk you up."

Knowing she wouldn't win by arguing, Tenten breathed out an air of agitation. She followed the prince up the stairs and to their rooms. A bulky looking man in armor was sitting in a chair outside of her door. Tenten recognized him as the guard that nearly got his head taken off when Neji thrust the spiked ball into the wall.

"What's this?" Tenten gestured toward the man, who blankly stared up at her. He appeared to be all brawn and nothing else. _Oh, great_, she thought_. This one's a real winner._

"This is the guard who will be stationed outside of your room from now on," said Neji. "I might as well introduce you." He gestured to each of them. "Tenten, this is Gorou. Gorou, this is the woman who tried to kill you earlier."

"What?" Tenten yelled. "You are the one who nearly decapitated him."

Neji closed his eyes for a moment. "Yes, but if you hadn't thrown that spiked ball at me, I wouldn't of had to deflect it."

Unsure of what to do, Gorou's head snapped back and forth between the two of them.

Tenten's hands balled into fists. "So you think it was my fault?"

Neji opened his eyes, crossed his arms, and nodded his head.

The brunette nearly blew her top, but somehow managed to control herself. "I'm going to bed now." She stomped to her door and opened it.

"Goodnight," said Neji, but the only response he got was the slam of her door.

Neji couldn't help but smile. Then, he looked at the guard. "Keep an eye on her, Gorou. As you can see, she has a temper."

Gorou looked dumbfounded for a moment. Then, he grunted and nodded his head as the prince entered his room.

* * *

><p>Tenten paced her room again, nearly ripping her hair out as she loosened the buns on top of her head. How could anyone anger her so much? It was like the prince knew where her buttons were and took great pleasure in pushing them over and over again.<p>

She stopped in her tracks. No, she had to calm down and think rationally about her next move. She reached up into her sleeve and pulled out two objects. No one had noticed that she'd taken her chopsticks from the table. All she had to do was file the ends and they would turn into perfect weapons.

Why she hadn't thought of this before was beyond her, but that didn't matter now. She would sneak into the prince's room tonight, while he slept, and achieve the goal she had meant to do from the very beginning.

* * *

><p>After filing down the chopsticks into sharp enough points that Tenten was happy with, she dressed in a black gi outfit, which was left in her room for her training tomorrow. She waited well into the night, and when her patience wore thin, she decided to make her move.<p>

Tenten peeked out the door. At night, there was very little light, but it was enough for her to see that the guard was asleep. Yet, she didn't make her move yet. He might be resting his eyes. She had to be absolutely sure first. She took a closer look. Drool seeped from his mouth and she could hear the faint sounds of a snore. Finally, Tenten decided that he was definitely asleep.

She cracked the door open (thankfully it didn't make a sound) and slipped through. Just like she was trained to do, her steps were swift and silent. She moved past the oblivious guard and crossed the small distance to the prince's door.

Tenten expected it to be locked, but to her surprise, it opened as soon as she turned the knob. A small part of her thought this was going too smoothly, but she pushed it aside. Achieving her goal was the main objective now. If she got rid of the prince, she could leave this place and never look back. Her mother (in some small way) would be avenged, and then she could live without the hatred that burned deep within her heart.

She slipped through the prince's door and quietly shut it behind her. Unfortunately for her, the room was pitch black. She had never been in it before and did not know the layout. The kunoichi was just going to have to wing it. She proceeded forward.

Tenten slid her feet along the floor, until she bumped into a solid object. She reached out her hand and found the end of the prince's footboard. She determined that she was closer to the left side and moved that way around the bed.

Reaching into her sleeve, she extracted the sharpened chopsticks. When Tenten thought she was close enough, she raised them over her head. Right when she was about to stab the Hyuga where his heart should be, the assassin heard a quick swooshing sound.

The next thing Tenten knew, she was grabbed, swung around, and flung onto the bed. On her back now and still holding the weapons in her hands, she tried to stab the prince once more. He grabbed her wrists and they struggled for a bit. Then, he put the full weight of his body against her.

Suddenly, she was glad it was dark, otherwise she might have been embarrassed by the position they were in. Finally, the prince pinned her arms above her head and forced the weapons out of her hands.

Then, Tenten felt a rope being tied around her wrists. "What are you doing?" she cried out, but he didn't answer. Instead, he tied the other end to the headboard. Soon, he had her legs tied as well. She tried to prevent him, but to no avail.

The prince pulled away from her and she heard a flicking sound. A small flame appeared. Neji used it to light the lantern on the nightstand. Slowly the darkened room began to fill with light.

Looking around, Tenten noticed that the prince's bed was decent size, but he had very little furniture. It looked nothing like the elaborate bedroom his cousin had. It looked more like the room she was staying in.

"Nice, very nice," he said.

Tenten stared at the prince. His back was to her and she couldn't see what he was doing. A small part of her was happy to see that his hair was messed up from the scuffle. Of course, probably not as bad as hers.

Unsure of what he was referring to, she remained silent. Was it her idea of attacking him in the middle of the night when he least expected it? Even the dark and unfamiliar layout hadn't deterred her. Or was it her fighting ability? They were struggling back and forth for a good while. Her heart raced with anticipation. Then, he turned around.

Neji was examining the chopsticks.

_Really? The chopsticks? _Tenten couldn't help but feel a little offended.

Neji touched the point of them with his fingers. "Nice and sharp."

Tenten pulled on the ropes. "Let me go!"

The prince glanced up at her. "Why would I do that? You are the one who sneaked into my room."

"To get rid of you!" Tenten yelled.

Neji set the chopsticks down. "And you failed once again."

Angry at his words, Tenten turned her face away. "You don't have to remind me," she spoke between gritted teeth.

The prince leaned over her. "You're not upset, are you?" When she didn't answer, he continued on. "It's not like I purposely put an inept guard outside of your door."

Tenten jerked her head around and narrowed her eyes at him.

A small smirk played on his lips. "He was asleep, wasn't he?"

"How did you…" Realization donned on Tenten's face. "You knew!"

The prince's smirk widened a bit.

"You knew he was a terrible guard and would fall asleep. And you left your door unlocked. I thought it was too easy," Tenten muttered to herself. Then, she glared at the prince. "This whole thing was a set up. You were waiting for me!"

Neji confirmed her suspicion. "And you took your time, I might add. My patience was beginning to wear thin."

She jerked forward as far as the ropes would let her. "I'll kill you!"

"You've already tried that," Neji reminded her. "several times now."

"Untie me and I'll try again," Tenten warned.

Neji's expression was hard. "Guess you'll be staying in my room for the rest of the night then."

Tenten's eyes widened. "If you try anything..."

Neji looked offended. "You think I would…" Then, he looked her over. Even though her hair was a tangled mess, a part of him still found her attractive. The fact that she was tied to his bed didn't help the matter. He also remembered a little to well the feel of her body underneath of him earlier. Neji cleared his throat. "I'll be sleeping on the floor."

"You can't be serious!" Tenten yelled. He really wasn't going to make her sleep in his room, was he? This had to be a joke.

But Neji was all too serious. "Would you rather me sleep in bed with you?"

Tenten gave him a "if you do that I will kill you" look.

Neji half smiled. "I thought so."

He took an extra blanket from his bed and spread it out on the floor. Then, he turned off the lamp and laid down.

In the darkness, Tenten pulled against the ropes again, but they were bound too tight. She wasn't going anywhere for a while.

"Just think," said Neji. "you're already dressed for our training in a few hours."

Tenten grunted.

"Sweet dreams," he said and there was silence for the rest of the night.


	6. His Goal

**Deceived**

Chapter Six: His Goal

Tenten, feeling something on her face, swatted at it. Her eyes remained closed as she drifted back to sleep. Then, something was tickling her neck. She giggled and scratched at it, but again, didn't wake up. This went on for quite a while. Finally, when it felt like something was slithering down her ear, she jerked awake swinging and screaming.

The kunoichi's eyes took a second to adjust, but she could clearly hear someone laughing. A man was standing over her with something in his hand. It was the prince with a big white feather.

Tenten, realizing what he'd been doing, sat up and tried to hit Neji with her free hand, but he stepped back. That's when she noticed her other wrist was still tied along with her feet. "Ah! I'm going to kill you!"

Neji looked amused. "You keep telling me that."

"I mean it!"

"I know you do."

Tenten glared at him. "Well, are you going to untie me the rest of the way?"

Neji set the feather down and began to untie her feet. When those were free, he went on the other side of the bed and began to untie her wrist.

Just then, Hanabi came barging into the room. She was looking down and talking. "Neji, I have a question to ask .." she looked up. "you …"

Hanabi stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes slowly widened and her mouth dropped open in shock.

Neji could only imagine what the little girl was thinking. It looked like he was tying Tenten to his bed instead of untying her. He put his palm up. "Hanabi, it's not what it looks like."

Her arm slowly began to rise and she pointed an accusing finger at Neji. "P..p..p.."

"Don't say it, Hanabi," Neji said, futilely.

"Pervert!" Hanabi shrieked quite loudly.

Neji smacked his forehead and Tenten couldn't help but giggle.

"What's going on?" a timid voice came from the doorway. Hinata came into the room and tried to console her sister. Then, she looked in the direction that Hanabi was pointing and her eyes widened as well.

"Hinata .." Neji began, but, by the look on his oldest cousin's face, he knew it was useless.

Hinata quickly covered her sister's eyes. "We'll be leaving now." She quickly steered her little sister out of the room and shut the door behind them.

Tenten began to laugh at the horrified look on Neji's face.

Neji scowled down at her. "It's not funny."

Tenten tried to contain herself. "Oh, and poking me with a feather isn't funny either?"

"That's different," he said, untying her the rest of the way.

Tenten rubbed her wrists. "Oh?" she said curiously. "And just how is it different?"

"Your dignity was not put into question."

Tenten humphed. "I think smacking myself in the face over and over again counts."

"Yeah, but I was the only one who saw that. I, on the other hand, had an audience. And my cousins, no less."

"I'm sure if you explain it to them.." Tenten began, then stopped. Was she actually going to console him? What was she thinking?

"Yeah?" Neji looked hopeful as he waited for her to finish.

"..they'll never believe you."

Neji's face fell. "Oh."

Tenten got up from the bed, stretched, and yawned great big. "What time is it anyway?"

"A little after five."

"What?" Tenten looked incredulously at him.

Neji crossed his arms. "Why are you so surprised? I told you what I had planned the night before."

Tenten mimicked Neji, crossing her arms as well. "Yeah, well, I thought you were kidding."

Neji raised an eyebrow at her.

Tenten's arms dropped to her side and she slumped a little. "Don't tell me you want to start training right now?"

Neji remained silent.

"But I hardly got any sleep last night," Tenten whined.

"And whose fault is that?" Neji spoke up.

Tenten scowled at him. "Yours."

Neji brushed off Tenten's comment and grabbed her arm. He steered her out of his room.

When they were in the hallway, Tenten jerked her arm away, like a child. "You may not know this, but I am capable of walking on my own."

Neji turned his palm over in a gesture for her to proceed. Tenten did not look up at him as she headed toward the steps. She didn't even notice the guard was gone.

The prince wondered if he should've listened to her as they descended the stairs. Tenten wobbled a few times from apparent exhaustion. At one point, he thought for sure she was going to fall. He reached out to catch her, but she managed to stabilize herself just in time. Neji was thankful when they finally reached the bottom.

"Let's get something to eat before we begin," Neji suggested. He knew Tenten was exhausted, but this was ridiculous. Maybe a little food would help her.

Tenten nodded her head and followed him like a zombie into the dining area. As soon as they were seated, the servants brought them steamed rise and miso soup.

Through the entire breakfast, Tenten kept nodding off. She was getting closer and closer to her bowl of soup each time. As much as that would amuse him, Neji didn't want her to get burned and had a servant take it away.

Tenten let out an unintended snore. The sound of it woke her up and she realized her bowl was gone. "Hey, what's going on?"

"It's time to go," said Neji, rising from the table.

"Oh," said Tenten. She knew she'd gotten a few bites in, but had no idea how much she really ate. The kunoichi took a swig of tea, like one would do with saké, hoping it would energize her. Then, she followed Neji out of the room.

As they entered the courtyard, the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. Tenten scowled at it. She usually wasn't awake at this hour. Usually, the sun was bright and high in the sky when she rolled out of bed. Bed. Yes, there was one in her room. How much she wished she was lying in it right now. Neji speaking snapped her back into reality.

"Are you ready to begin training?"

Tenten still couldn't believe it. "You're not serious?"

"Why else would I bring you here?"

Tenten didn't speak. Instead, she gave him the evil eye.

"What's the matter, Tenten?" The prince asked, yet he knew what was wrong with her. She was barely able to stand and they hadn't even started yet.

Even though she was tired, Tenten noticed how refreshed the prince looked. Like her, he was dressed in a black gi outfit. But unlike her, he didn't have the bags under his eyes or the wild crazy hair she probably still had from the night before. She hadn't seen a mirror since she woke up. It was irritating how rested and normal he looked. Well, as normal as an arrogant Hyuga could look.

"You…" she slurred a little. "You're what's wrong."

"Whatever do you mean?" he asked innocently.

"You look like you've had a good night's sleep. But how is that possible? Weren't you waiting up for me last night?"

"Why do you think I went to bed early for?" When Tenten looked confused, Neji proceeded on. "I slept before you arrived. You're the one who foolishly stayed up most of the night. It's no wonder you're tired."

Tenten clinched her fists. "I'm not tired!"

"Is that so?" Neji asked, but he clearly didn't believe her.

Tenten was obviously going to have to prove herself. She began to charge toward Neji, but mid-way, she disgracefully stumbled over her own feet.

It felt like a dream really, the ground drawing closer and closer to her face. Too stunned, she didn't even put her hands out to save herself. Right before Tenten was going to hit, she squeezed her eyes shut.

But she didn't hit. She waited a few more seconds, just to be on the safe side. Yet, still no thud, no pain. She opened her eyes to find herself hovering just above the ground, her nose nearly touching. But what had stopped her from face planting?

Her question was answered when she was flipped over. Tenten was now face to face with her savior, the prince.

Of course, who else could it have been? It was always him that saved her, and always him that caught her in the most embarrassing situations.

"Are you okay?" Neji asked, his pale eyes staring down at her.

Tenten thought she saw general concern in his eyes. "I'm fine," she said, averting her eyes. "Why do you ask?"

She nearly flinched when Neji ran the back of his finger down her face. "Your cheeks. They're red."

Her eyes flew back to him. Surely, he was lying. Yet, his finger felt cool to the touch. She couldn't possibly be...

Tenten touched her cheeks, and they were warm even to her own touch. _Oh my gosh_, she thought in horror. _I'm blushing_!

Why? Why was she blushing? Was it his close proximity? Or the way he was gazing into her eyes? Or how incredibly attractive he looked up close? Wait… what?

Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse, he inched closer. Her gaze fell to his lips. Was he going to try to kiss her? The thought both terrified and thrilled her at the same time. For as much as she didn't want to admit it, she wondered what his lips would feel like against her own. But, unfortunately for him, terror won out.

Panicking, Tenten slammed her forehead into him. Inadvertently, Neji dropped her and she fell to the ground for real this time.

_Okay, maybe that wasn't the greatest idea_, thought Tenten, as she lay on the hard ground, the wind knocked out of her. She looked up at Neji, who was cradling his nose.

"Why did you do that for?" he asked through his hands. He sounded agitated.

Tenten sat up. "Just what were you trying to do?" she questioned.

He stared down at her. "What do you mean? I was checking to see if you were okay. A lot of good it did me, though."

Neji removed his hands from his face, and Tenten's eyes widened when she saw blood flowing from his nose. He turned away as she jumped to her feet. None too gently, she grabbed his chin and turned him to face her.

"Ow," he protested, trying to get away from her. "I think you've done enough."

"Stand still," she ordered, and was amazed when he actually listened to her. "I'm no expert, but I know a few healing techniques."

Tenten raised her other hand, green chakra flowing from it. She used it on Neji, and soon his nose stopped bleeding. That was the best she could do for now, though he still had a slight wound. After she was done, Tenten noticed a small smile on his lips.

"Why are you smiling?" she asked, wondering what could be so amusing. This morning had been nothing but a disaster thus far.

"I didn't know you could heal," said Neji. "Did your sensei teach you?"

Tenten nodded. "Yes, he did."

Neji was silent for a moment. "So you're sensei is a man?"

Tenten quickly covered her mouth. How could she let something like that slip? The conversation had been so casual that it didn't occur to her that he was probing for information. Was it any surprise though? She was tired from lack of sleep and felt sorry for hurting him earlier.

That was another thing Tenten couldn't wrap her brain around. She had tried to kill him over and over again (much worse than injuring, by far). So why did she feel bad about breaking his nose? So bad, that she had to heal him right away.

Those kinds of questions she put on the backburner, though. They were the least of her worries now.

Tenten released her mouth and tried to save the situation. "How do you know the "he" I was referring to is a man? "He" could be a boy."

Neji snorted. "I seriously doubt that. You listen to a child? Not likely. With the way you treat Hanabi, I don't think you like children very much, let alone take orders from them. He is probably more like a father-figure. And he's still alive."

Tenten narrowed her eyes. "And how do you know that?"

Neji's smile returned. "You referred to him as "is" and not "was"."

Tenten felt sweat beading on her forehead. Of course he would pick up on the tiniest of details. This was his goal after all.

Neji continued on. "A weapon specialist, who taught you fūinjutsu and long range attacks."

"Well that parts kind of a given," said Tenten, trying to discourage him.

"I've learned something else too."

Tenten tried to think of anything else she might have let slip in the small amount of time they'd spent together. She racked her brain, but couldn't come up with anything. She waited with abated breath for his response.

"You don't like it when I get close to you."

Tenten scoffed. "What makes you say .."

He purposely moved toward her and she unintentionally stepped back. It was a natural reaction, something she couldn't control. Realizing he was right, Tenten bit her lip.

Neji purposely walked toward her. "So, what do you suggest I do?"

With his every step forward, Tenten stepped back, until something stopped her. It was the high stone wall that surrounded the courtyard. Neji stopped in front of her, blocking any escape. His close proximity made her nervous, but there was still one more thing she could try to do.

Tenten took a deep breath. "I suggest you let me go. You are putting yourself and your cousins in danger by keeping me here."

Neji's palm hit the wall beside her head. It made a loud sound and Tenten flinched a little. "How so?"

Tenten found the courage to look him in the eye. "My sensei will send others to come looking for me."

"How does he know you're still alive?" Neji inquired.

Tenten kept up her brave front. "He doesn't. But he will send ninja to find out; powerful and ruthless fighters who will have no problem taking out the Hyuga clan."

Something flickered in Neji's eyes, and he backed away a bit. "Do you know what I have to say about that?"

Tenten thought she might have actually won. Even if he didn't care about himself, she knew he cared about Hinata and Hanabi. Surely he would set her free to protect them.

She held out hope, until he said his next sentence.

"Bring it on."


End file.
